Area: East Africa, India (Gujarat). Previously, lions lived on larger territory Africa, the Middle East and Hindustan.
Description: the lion has the most peculiar appearance Among all cats, it is a huge predator with a strong and flexible muscular body. The paws are strong, with well-developed muscles on the front paws, with which the lion captures and holds prey. The tail is long and has a tassel at the end with dark hairs at the end.
The head is very massive, the muzzle is long, the jaws are powerful with huge fangs (30 teeth in total). The tongue is rough, covered with tubercles in the form of sharp spines, which help the animal lick off fleas and ticks, as well as care for its skin. The ears are rounded, black on the outside with a yellow spot in the middle.
Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: males are larger than females and are approximately 50% heavier in weight. The adult male has a long mane covering the neck, shoulders and chest. The rest of the body is covered with short hair. In older lions, the mane sometimes grows and covers the shoulders and belly.
Each lion has 4-5 rows of vibrissae (whiskers) on its face. At the base of each antennae there is a dark spot that forms a special pattern, unique for each individual.
Color: the main color of the upper body is white-gray (Asiatic lions), cream, sandy yellow and dark ocher. The lower part of the body is painted in lighter colors. Adult lions have dark brown manes. Sometimes very light or completely white lion cubs are born, without the red eye color characteristic of albinos, indicating the absence of coloring pigment.
Size: length of a lion - 2.7-3 m, lionesses up to 2.7 m, height at the withers up to 122 cm.
Weight: males - up to 250 kg, females - up to 180 kg.
Lifespan: in nature up to 17-20 years, in captivity - up to 30 years.
The lion is quite “talkative”; its repertoire includes sounds such as grunting, growling, hissing, groaning and roaring. The roar is used to mark territory or intimidate competitors. The male's roar is louder and deeper than that of the lioness and can be heard at a distance of up to 5-7 km. Females make low grunts when calling their young. Lions can purr, like a domestic cat. Habitat: open plains (prefers parkland and grassy savannas with an abundance of ungulates and watering holes) and semi-deserts. The mountains rise up to 3000 m above sea level.
Enemies: the main one is a person. Herds of elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and huge crocodiles (which can attack a lion at a watering hole) pose a certain danger. Old lonely lions often die from the teeth of hyena dogs.
How are lion cubs hunted? carnivorous mammals, and birds of prey.
Food: lions are predators that hunt medium and large animals: antelopes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, young elephants, livestock. If there is a shortage of prey, it can eat carrion and small animals (mouse-like rodents, fish, birds, and ostrich eggs). They do not disdain other people’s prey, taking it away from other, weaker predators (dogs and hyenas).
Behavior: During daylight hours, the pride rests in the shade, and at dusk goes out hunting.
In a pride, the main breadwinners are lionesses, while lions themselves almost never hunt. Males guard the territory and protect it from other animals encroaching on it.
Lioness hunt large prey in a group; at first they try to isolate the victim from the herd, and then attack and kill it. During a throw (over short distances), lionesses can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h.
Having approached the victim very close, the lioness with a strong blow The paw knocks her off her feet and sinks his teeth into her throat. If the prey escapes, predators look for new prey. On average, every fourth attack ends in victory.
Lions kill prey in three ways: small prey by instantly destroying the cervical vertebrae, medium ones by tearing the throat, and large ones by holding a death grip on the throat and strangling them.
Males begin to eat the prey first, then females occupying the highest places in the hierarchy, low-ranking females and kittens eat last. Therefore, the main cause of mortality among lion cubs is hunger. In one sitting, an adult lion eats up to 20 kg of meat.
Having had their fill, the lions quench their thirst and lie down to rest. For a pride of four lions, one successful hunt per week is enough. Sick or decrepit lions, unable to hunt ungulates, may attack people.
Lions jump well - three-meter fences and cliffs are no obstacle for them.
Social structure: Lions are social animals that spend their entire lives in a pack. They have an elaborate greeting ceremony, during which the lions shake their heads from side to side and hold their tails high as they approach each other. Social licking of the head, shoulders and neck is also a sign of affection and good relationships.
A pride usually has 1-2 adult males, several adult lionesses and youngsters (up to 7-13 individuals). Alien lionesses are reluctantly accepted into the pride. Male lion cubs begin to learn to hunt much later than lionesses, sometimes only at 4-5 years of age, but usually young males are expelled from the pride earlier. Driven by instincts, males go to prides where lionesses live, and there they try to fight for leadership.
Animals of both sexes mark the boundaries of their territory with urine and excrement. Individual sites can occupy 100-400 km 2 (depending on the abundance of food).
Reproduction: During this period, males fight very fiercely with each other for females, which sometimes leads to the death of one of the competitors. The winner pursues the female and tries to mate with her at every opportunity. If the lion is persistent enough, the female allows him to mount her. During mating, the lion holds the female by the back of her neck with his teeth. Mating itself lasts 1-2 minutes, and a day the pair mates up to 100 times.
Females in the same pride give birth to their cubs at the same time, which helps protect them from other predators and foreign male lions. Lionesses feed their cubs without dividing them into friends and foes. If one female dies, the others take care of the deceased's cubs.
Childbirth occurs outside the pride. The lair is made in caves, rock crevices or pits located in hard-to-reach places.
Breeding season/period: during the whole year.
Puberty: females mature at 4 years, males at 6 years.
Pregnancy: lasts 105-112 days.
Offspring: There are 2-4 spotted kittens in a litter. Newborn lion cubs weigh up to 450 g, their size is about 30 cm. Later, the spotted color is replaced by a single color. Eyes open on days 3-11. The cubs begin to walk on the 10th day. Milk teeth erupt at one month of age. When the kittens are about 1.5 months old, the mother begins to take them hunting with her and feeds them with meat. Lactation lasts up to 6 months.
Benefit/harm for humans: lions rarely attack humans and mainly when they are sick or wounded. Young lions are easily tamed and trained.
Since ancient times, man considered the lion to be the king of beasts. IN Ancient Egypt the lion was an emblem of divine and royal power. Among the Assyrians and Greeks, the lion was the constant companion of the goddesses. And in early Christian art the lion symbolized Saints Mark and Jerome, and later even Christ himself. Over time, lions become an integral decoration of the coats of arms of some principalities and states.
Population/Conservation Status: Approximate lion population size is 30,000 - 100,000 individuals.
There are two subspecies: African (East Africa) and Asian (India, Gir Forest Reserve).
Science knows crosses of lions and tigresses (ligers), as well as offspring of tigers and lionesses (tigeons).
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The lion is unanimously recognized as the king of beasts. He received such a high rank for his impressive appearance, noble disposition and the fear that he had inspired in people from time immemorial. This animal is a favorite object of heraldry; its images can be seen on the coats of arms of most reigning dynasties, including those that, due to geographical reasons, never came into contact with this animal.
Lion (Panthera leo).
Lions are the only predators with such pronounced sexual dimorphism. While females look like typical big cats, males have thick manes that make them stand out from all other animals.
Lion and lioness during mating game.
The mane is not at all symbolic, but a very real sign of the “masculinity” of a lion. Its growth directly depends on the amount of the sex hormone testosterone - the higher the level of the hormone, the more magnificent the mane.
Lion with a dark mane.
However, in different subspecies of lions, the size and color of the mane can vary greatly from light to almost black, from a small mane on the neck to a thick one that covers the chest, paws and lower abdomen.
And this lion is light, fawn in color.
Among lions, there are specimens with a very low level of pigment in their fur - white lions (not to be confused with albinos, which are completely devoid of pigmentation).
White Lion.
Lions belong to the cat family, where they rightfully occupy an honorable… second place in size. Second, because first place belongs to the tiger, large specimens which can reach 3m in length and weigh 270kg. Lions reach a length of 2 m and weigh up to 220 kg. When kept together in zoos, lions are almost always inferior to tigers in fights.
Lions at a watering hole.
In savannas, lions also give way to watering places for elephants, rhinoceroses, hippos, and crocodiles. They avoid attacking adult buffalos, giraffes and even warthogs (an African species of pig) because these animals can fight back and even kill their attackers.
This lioness attacked the buffalo, but the victim resisted and now the attacking side had to retreat. Most likely the lioness left the pride because of some internal struggle. Forced to hunt alone, she is hopelessly outmatched by the competition. Only extreme hunger could force her to take such a risky adventure. Typically, lions avoid attacking buffaloes, preferring easier prey for them.
But in fairness, it is worth noting that lions can attack all of the above species of animals if they are very hungry, attack in a large group, or their prey is too weak (due to age or disease).
A group of lions managed to kill a baby elephant. At a young age, elephants are defenseless against such a group attack, but as they mature, they respond to lions with open hostility.
In turn, lions will not fail to destroy a competitor in the person of some smaller predator: they attack young cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, or simply take away the food they have caught. This completely dispels the myth about the noble hunter and the terror of all animals.
The family organization of lions is also very peculiar. Lions are the only felines that live in groups.
A family of lions is called a pride and consists of one (occasionally two) males and 5-15 females.
The life of a pride is very much like a harem, where the male mainly defends the territory from competing prides, other males and hyenas that attack the young. Females are engaged in obtaining food.
Lions very rarely take part in hunting, preferring to take what they have killed from females.
Friendly relations reign between the females in the pride; they often come to each other’s rescue in dangerous situations, there are even known cases of feeding other people's lion cubs.
Friendly relationships are cemented by a special sign language, when lions rub their cheeks against each other and lick their brothers.
Lions are tolerant of their offspring and even allow the cubs to play with them. But as soon as the male lion cubs grow up, they are forced to leave the pride, unable to withstand competition with the leader.
While the lion cub is little, his father allows him a lot.
Young lions wander alone until they become stronger and can join the fight for someone else’s pride. The new head of the pride destroys all the offspring of the previous leader, thereby stimulating the beginning of a new sexual cycle in females.
In general, the life of a pride takes place in lazy rest, which lions can indulge in for up to 20 hours a day.
The young lion, after a hearty meal, fell asleep right on the “dining table.”
When resting, lions can climb trees to rest in the shade, but they cannot drag prey into the trees, unlike, say, a leopard.
Lionesses on a tree.
Lions hunt mainly at night. In this process, there is a clear division of responsibilities: some of the lionesses attack the herd openly, causing panic among potential victims, while the other part sits in ambush at this time. The lionesses single out a weak animal in the herd and drive it towards the hiding accomplices, then they surround the victim and strangle them together. Often, a hungry pride begins a meal before the prey has given up the ghost, literally eating it alive. The main objects of lion hunting are large ungulates - zebras, wildebeests, buffalos.
Lions during a night hunt for buffalo.
Lions have few natural enemies, but this does not mean that there are none at all. First of all, we need to talk about the special relationship between lions and hyenas. This relationship, throughout the territory where the ranges of these two species intersect, can be called a “blood war.” Lions and hyenas hate each other, and this hatred goes beyond ordinary food competition. Lions try to kill hyenas whenever possible, but this is not always possible. Because hyenas are also pack animals and, on occasion, are not averse to surrounding a lone lion, and in this case, victory will be theirs.
Because of this, people have ingrained sayings: “strong as a lion” or “lion’s heart.” In ancient Egypt, the lion was considered a sacred animal.
It is worth noting the interesting fact that lions also lived in Europe until about 500 AD, until they were all exterminated.
photo: Safari PartnersA lion is a beast that poses a danger to both animals and humans. In the Middle Ages, many royal courts decorated their coat of arms with images of a lion in order to show everyone their strength, power and might.
We decided to collect a few for you interesting facts about lions, in order to once again show how the lion is an interesting and formidable animal.
In addition to the nose, lions, like all cats, can detect odors using the so-called “Jacobson tube” located on the upper palate behind the front incisors. Leos use it when they fully concentrate on some particularly interesting smell, drawing in air, slightly raising their upper lip and nose.
A lion's muzzle is like a person's fingerprints. No two lions have the same muzzle. A lion's claws can reach a length of 7 cm. An adult lion has 30 teeth. A specific feature is also the presence of four nipples in females. Despite their huge teeth, lions do not actually chew their food. Instead, they swallow large chunks of meat using only one side of their jaw. A lion's night vision is six times better than a human's.
The smallest heart of all predators is... the lion. The roar of an adult lion is so loud that it can be heard at a distance of up to 8 kilometers. Under the age of 2 years, lions cannot roar. If the lion is well-fed, the animals he hunts can walk next to him without worrying for their lives. Most man-eating lions are young males in good physical condition.
Until now, it was believed that only a sick or wounded lion attacks humans and domestic animals, because it is unable to catch up with such fleet-footed prey as a zebra or gazelle. Male lions reach sexual maturity at 5 years, and females at 4 years. But even after this, they continue to grow in size - usually up to six years.
Lions breed all year round, but the peak occurs during the rainy season. In a non-pregnant female, estrus begins 16 days after the end of the previous one. Not only males, but also females are polygamous; usually mating occurs both with the dominant male and with other lions from the pride. A lion mates 672 times a week During mating season, a male lion mates every 15 minutes for two weeks straight. Newborn lion cubs weigh only 1–2 kg. On the 11th day they open their eyes, and on the 15th they begin to walk. There are dark spots on the skin of small lion cubs, which then disappear.
The lion is a predator from the panther genus, subfamily big cats. This beautiful beast ranks second in terms of its own size compared to other big cats.
It is not for nothing that in fairy tales the lion personifies the king, because he really has royal habits and a majestic gait.
Lion habitat
Most often, lions could be found in Africa, the Middle East, southern Russia, and some parts of India. They live in the steppe, savannah, and rarely in forests and shrubby areas. Currently, there are fewer and fewer lions. Lions live in huge groups and do not hunt artiodactyls alone. Lionesses, when hunting, act as leaders, unlike lions. Males intimidate prey with their powerful roars, and females, hiding, prepare to attack animals (carcasses of buffalos, giraffes). Lions also defend their lionesses in fights, and unfortunately many die.
Description of lions
Lions have a gorgeous mane, ranging from yellow to orange color, some predators have a three-color coloration as in the photo. Anyone with thin hair will envy such thickness. The hair on the tail is shorter, at the tip it looks like a small paint brush.
These huge animals have an anatomical difference between females and males (this phenomenon is called dimorphism). The weight of lions ranges from approximately 170 to 185 kg, lionesses weigh less (120-125 kg). The largest lion weighed 375 kg at the London Zoo. Lions are no more than 2 m long (on average 180 cm), females - 150 cm. Surprisingly, the length of the tail is not much less than about 105 cm. The record length of the lion is slightly more than 300 cm.
Lion breeding
These wonderful mammals are ready to breed from the age of 4. The female also carries the cubs for about 4 months. He prefers to give birth to little lion cubs in a secluded place where he feels safe. Babies are born with a body weight of 1 to 2 kg. The eyes begin to see 7 days after birth. Instinctively, the female knows that if she frequently changes her habitat, the smell will not accumulate and will not attract other predators to the babies. Leos know how to communicate using body movements, for example, in order to greet someone, they rub their heads against each other’s heads and make loud sounds similar to a deep roar.
Predators feed according to a strict schedule: first the males, then the females, and the babies eat last. They need to eat about 18 kg of meat per day.
These majestic predators must be protected through sanctuaries and other animal welfare projects. Since the 18th century, many zoos have been created, where more than a thousand lions live.
Since ancient times, the power has been recognized lion V animal world nature. His depictions in cave paintings, sculptures, coats of arms and flags indicate strength and authority.
In Ancient Egypt, man saw the beast as a powerful god of the earth. Before today he is called the king of beasts or king - lion, and protect from destruction one of the largest and most interesting animals on the ground.
Features and habitat of a lion
Among cats, only those whose size is not inferior to the king’s can enter into competition with a lion. The weight of the animal reaches 200-250 kg, the length of the body of an adult animal is almost 2.5 m, to which is added about a meter of tail with a black hair tassel. Inside there is a “spur” of terminal vertebrae, an additional weapon of the predator. Large dimensions do not prevent the animal from being agile and fast.
Males are distinguished by a mane that grows from the age of 2 and covers the body from neck to chest. The color of the mane darkens as the animal ages, adding even more significance. It is generally accepted that such a dense and elastic woolen mop softens the blows of opponents in fights.
The photo shows a male lion
The length of the mane hair reaches 40 cm. Its thickness, shape and color depend on many factors: age, habitat, subspecies, climate, living conditions. In captivity, the mane of lions is always more luxuriant, since it does not have to be ruffled in thickets or duels.
The production of testosterone has a great influence on the formation of a mop of wool, so among lions the leader status is always with the owner of an outstanding mane. Lionesses smaller in size, their weight is up to 140 kg, but they are more graceful than their partners, since they are the main hunters of the clan. The majestic mane and massive dimensions would interfere with tracking down prey.
The photo shows a lioness
The head of the beast is large, with an elongated muzzle and large jaws. Fangs up to 8 cm long will allow hunters to attack large animals. The body is muscular, the paws are strong, with retracted claws on the toes. The short hair on the body can be colored from whitish-gray to yellow-brown.
Main relatives lion in nature: jaguar, tiger and - animals of Africa. Their existence is confirmed by fossil remains, the age of which is estimated to be up to 1 million years.
Once upon a time, in ancient times, the habitat of lions was much larger than the present: it covered the entire territory of Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, south of present-day Russia, northwestern part.
The persecution of the animal by humans and the reduction of its habitat have become disastrous for the predator. It remains in nature only in sub-Saharan Africa and the Gir forest of the Indian state.
Of the 12 subspecies that existed, six have survived in modern times. Among the extinct subspecies is the famous Barbary a lion, the largest wild animal from relatives. The weight of the giants exceeded 300 kg, and the body length was over 3 m. The last representative of the species was exterminated in 1922.
White Lion not identified as an independent subspecies animal. The cream color of the fine coat is the result of genetic characteristics. South African captive breeders raise these to order for trophy purposes.
In the photo there is a white lion
Savannas are the favorite habitats of lions, but sometimes they move to forests or areas overgrown with bushes. Animals need large bodies of water and ungulate mammals - their main hunting objects.
Character and lifestyle of a lion
Among cats, lions are distinguished by the formation of a separate family group, or pride. It consists of several adult individuals, as well as their offspring. Young lion cubs leave their parent pride after reaching puberty.
They become loners for the time being, until they find a new pride with an old leader who will give in to the strong, or they remain nomads for the rest of their lives. The pride lives on certain rules to which group members report. Strangers are expelled here, males protect their territory, family ties play a connecting role.
Pictured is a pride of lions
The main breadwinners during the hunt are lionesses. Their advantage is agility, flexibility and speed. Success depends on consistency and the manifestation of Leo qualities. The productivity of hunting by an animal in a group is obvious, but the division of the prey depends on the male, if he is nearby. It should be noted that lions are aggressive towards each other while consuming food.
Males rarely hunt on their own, but if they catch the prey, the lion feeds alone. Mane increases physical activity and contributes to body overheating, therefore the main role hunters belong to females. Each predator in the pride performs a specific mission: breadwinner, guard of territory, protector of offspring.
Photo of lionesses on the hunt
The greatest activity of predators occurs after sunset. Excellent night vision contributes to successful hunting. After lions indulge in rest and caring for their offspring. Which animal can be seen in the circle of relatives during the day.
The king of beasts has practically no enemies due to his large size and strength. But death and injury befall the animals in the struggle for the place of leader in the pride. Males are not inferior to rivals in cases of collisions. Sick or injured animals weaken and become victims of hyenas, buffalos or leopards.
Large predators suffer from small ticks that infect areas where the animal cannot reach an area of the body with its teeth or paws. Eating animal meat leads to infection with helminths. Diseases force prides to migrate to maintain numbers.
Lion food
The diet of predators consists mainly of artiodactyl animals: livestock, antelopes, zebras and others Savannah animals. a lion Even carrion and small rodents will not be missed. Despite the sharp and long fangs, the predator strangles its victims.
The ability to sneak up silently and then jump at the victim with lightning speed leaves no chance of salvation for many inhabitants of the savannah. The lion is strong and fast over short distances, so it gets as close as possible to herds for rapid leaps. This distance is approximately 30 m. They attack from different sides several predators of the same pride at the same time.
Hunting takes place more often at night. One successful outing provides 4-5 pride animals with enough food for a week. The victims are ungulates weighing from 50 to 300 kg. In Africa, these are more often wildebeest, zebras, and buffalos; in India, deer. Attacks on rhinoceroses or adult giraffes are rare due to the risk of injury.
The choice of prey depends on their availability in the region; in large individuals, the predator is interested in young animals or injured and weakened individuals. At one time, a lion can eat up to 30 kg of meat, although 7 kg for a male and 5 kg for a female are enough to satiate.
If prey needs to be preserved, then lions guard it from agile hyenas, attracted by the flight of vultures over the food. Hunting unites the pride: males come to the rescue in case of a large victim, and the offspring observe the actions of the adults.
Lion cubs begin to go out for their first hunting attempts at the age of 1 year, and from the age of 2 years they independently obtain food. Attacks on humans are typical for animals that have lost the ability to hunt ungulates.
Reproduction and lifespan
Sexual maturity of lionesses occurs at 4 years of age. The birth of offspring is not tied to seasons, so there may be cubs of different ages next to the mother. Pregnancy lasts up to 110 days, and the litter, as a rule, consists of 3 cubs. After birth, they are completely helpless: small in size, up to 30 cm long and approximately 1.5 kg in weight, and blind. They begin to see after a week, and walk after three weeks.
In the photo there are lion cubs
From the place where the babies are born, remote and hidden from the pride, the female transfers the offspring to a new rookery. He does this often to protect the cubs from predators who smell the accumulated odor. , are famous lovers of hunting little lion cubs. The lioness returns to the pride after 6-8 weeks.
If the main male in a pride gives way to a stronger one, then the offspring of the former leader have no chance of surviving. The cubs will be destroyed. There are enough threats and risks for the survival of babies, so only 20% of them grow up after two years.
In a pride, lion cubs stay close to their mother; other females do not always allow other people’s babies to approach them. But there are cases when lion nurseries are formed from cubs under the supervision of one lioness while others hunt.
At the age of 4-5 years, young individuals who have left their native pride try to win the place of the old leader in someone else’s family. If the females support him, he will win. Many weakened lions die in defense of the pride.
The life of predators in nature is up to 15 years, and in captivity it increases significantly to 20-30 years. An animal's presence in a pride prolongs its life, in contrast to exiled individuals leading a wandering lifestyle. The royal greatness of the beast is revealed when surrounded by its pride, which is perhaps why people are so interested in this predator with family values.